The inhabitants of the sea are often assigned strange and simply unusual names. So, among the fish there are an old wife, a moon, a needle, a parrot, a razor, a clown and other bizarre representatives. In this article we will talk about squirrel fish. You will find a photo, description and features of this animal below.
Holocentric squad
Squirrel fish belongs to the class of ray-finned fish, which includes almost 95% of all known fish on the planet. Biologists define it in the holocentric family, which includes 8 genera and approximately 83 species. It also includes murjans, myriprists, kandilis, sargocentrons and other fish with exotic and rather complex names. Sometimes the name "fish-squirrel" is applied to the entire squad.
All representatives of the holocentric live in the distant warm waters of the oceans and are not familiar to our lands. They reach medium or small sizes and look somewhat unusual. The fish often have bright red or orange coloration, well-defined fins and large squirrel-like eyes.
Some of them inventedinteresting way to communicate with each other. Thus, the Kandili genus transmits signals to its brethren with the help of a swim bladder, contracting and relaxing the muscles of the ribs. From the side, the sounds made in this way look like a growl or a dull tapping.
Description of squirrel fish
Holocentric fish reach up to 60 centimeters in length, although this happens infrequently. Most species are rather modest in size, reaching only 15-35 centimeters. Their body is oval, laterally compressed. In the tail area, it narrows strongly, acquiring the shape of a tube.
Common squirrel fish is the most typical representative of holocentric fish. Outwardly, it is very similar to a ruff. Its dorsal fin consists of two parts. The first is wide and very rigid, has prickly rays, which are connected by wide plates. The second part is soft, connected by narrow plates and rises high above the back. The remaining fins are also soft and equipped with long rays. The squirrel fish has a red or bright orange back and sides, and the belly is light silver. Large black eyes surrounded by a bright red iris.
The soldier reef squirrel from the genus Adioryx is very similar in structure to it. It also possesses a stiff dorsal fin and well-defined pectoral and caudal fins. Its tail is divided into two symmetrical parts and is not as thin and long as that of an ordinary squirrel fish. A characteristic feature of the reef soldier is a black spot on the dorsal fin, as well as longitudinal stripes of orange and silver colors that alternateamong themselves.
Quandilla squirrels don't look that much like them. They have a more elongated and rounded body, a more even, almost uniform color of the body. The color of the Amaen myriprist is completely orange, while that of the Murdzhan is silver-pink. The fins of these fish have a clear triangular shape, torn edges, like ordinary squirrels and reef soldiers, are not typical for them.
Lifestyle and characteristics
Squirrel fish live in warm subtropical and tropical waters. The common species is found in the Atlantic Ocean, near Central America, Brazil, and also along the entire western coast of the African continent. Other species are found in the Indian and Pacific Oceans.
Fish keep at shallow depths, mainly from 200 to 1000 meters. They are active at night, and during the day they hide in underwater rocks and reefs. They feed mainly on shrimp, crabs and crustaceans, which are part of the plankton, sometimes they eat polychaete worms, small fish and their larvae.
Home maintenance
Squirrelfish have a very attractive appearance, which is why they are popular as pets. Caring for them is not too complicated, but in order to keep them, you need to know some features.
They will need a fairly large aquarium that can hold at least 250 liters of water. Fish love warmth, are not accustomed to bright light and often hide in various cracks. All this must be taken into account. Temperaturethe water in the aquarium should be from 23 to 28 degrees, and the container itself will need to be equipped with stones and various decorations that can serve as an animal shelter. They feed mainly on live food, such as shrimp, worms and small fish.
